WTC Survivor Virus Threatens DLL Destruction

A new virus allegedly called “WTC Survivor” virus allegedly threatens to turn victims computers into a digital disaster by deleting dynamic link libraries.

Fortunately it’s a hoax, albeit one in very bad taste.

Here’s the original e-mail:

Date Collected: 3/21/2002

“BIGGGG TROUBLE !!!! DO NOT OPEN “WTC Survivor” It is a virus that
will erase your whole “C” drive. It will come to you in the
form of an E-Mail from a familiar person. I repeat a fri! end sent it to me, but
called and warned me before I opened it. He was not so lucky and now he
can’t even start his computer!

Forward this to everyone in your address book. I would rather
receive this 25 times than not at all. If you receive an email called
“WTC Survivor” do not open it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all
dynamic link libraries (.dll files) from your computer. “

A slightly mutated version, with an introductory paragraph, appeared a few months later

Date Collected: 3/21/2002

During the next several weeks be VERY cautious about opening or launching any e-mails that refer to the World Trade Center or 9/11 in any way, regardless of who sent it.

PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

For those that don’t know, ‘WTC’ stands for the World Trade Center. This is very dangerous because people will open it right away, thinking it’s a story relating to 9-11.

Do not open “WTC Survivor”…It is a virus that will erase your whole “C” drive. It will come to you in the form of an E-Mail from a familiar person. I repeat, a friend sent it to me, but called and warned me before I opened it.

He was not so lucky and now he can’t even start his computer! Forward this to everyone in your address book. I would rather receive this 25 times than not at all. If you receive an email called “WTC Survivor” do not open it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all dynamic link libraries (.dll files) from your computer.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE

There are a few immediate signs that this is a hoax. First, the first and second paragraphs contradict one another; the first saying that the virus will nuke your entire machine, the second saying that it will remove your DLL files. SO which is it? (although technically, I suppose erasing your hard drive would take out the DLLs and everything else with it, but this e-mail isn’t clever enough to note that.).

Secondly, we’ve got a plea to forward the e-mail to everyone in your address book. That’s usually a red flag noting that something stinks in Denmark

But finally, we ultimately know that this is an e-mail hoax because the people who make it their jobs to track viruses tell us so:

Sign up for RADIATIONS Newsletter

About Nuketown

Nuketown is a speculative fiction website that’s been published continuously since 1996.

It’s publishing focus is articles, reviews and editorials about science fiction, fantasy, and horror with heroic overtones. It covers a variety of topics within the speculative fiction genre, including games, movies, soundtracks, books, and websites.